The present invention relates generally to sights for hunting bows, and in particular to a pendulum bow sight constructed to facilitate aiming the bow from tree stands, particularly at dusk or when hunting, though the invention is not contemplated to be limited to only such use.
Bow sights potentially greatly improve the accuracy and consistency of an archer's shot by reducing the amount of guess-work required when aiming a bow. However, my experience is that present sights are inadequate since they are difficult to aim in low light and since they create too many opportunities for error in aiming while still requiring some guess-work. Initially, I note that many sights are difficult to quickly and accurately aim at dusk when low light levels make the sight pin and the target more difficult to see. This is because the hunter cannot see the bow or bow string for reference of aim for accuracy. Restated, just seeing the sight pin and target is not enough for an accurate shot in low light. Further, the chance of an error is magnified during the great excitement of a hunt such as when big game is involved. Some sights employ multiple pins which can be used for sighting, each pin representing a different distance. However, the archer must use guess-work when shooting at distances and elevations not represented by one of the pins. Also, I have found that it is not uncommon to select the wrong sight pin during the critical moment of aiming at the game. This problem is made worse by difficulty in seeing the sight pins, such as at dusk.
Pendulum sights have been developed to improve the accuracy of shooting from elevated places such as tree stands and the like. In pendulum sights, a pendulum including a sight pin is operably attached to a bow so that the sight pin swings to a corrected position as the bow is aimed. This allows the bow to be accurately aimed even at different angles and from different elevations. However, pendulum sights tend to include multiple parts which add complexity and cost to the sight. Further, pendulum sights are sensitive to the pendulum hanging up so that it does not swing freely. I note one pendulum sight in particular that I tested in which the pendulum had such a high center of gravity and such a high friction in the pivotal hole that at times the bow had to be moved about 13 degrees before the pendulum would move to a new position. Also, these sights are sometimes difficult to adjust and do not include the degrees of freedom of adjustment that may be desired. Still further, pendulum sights also have the aforementioned problem wherein sight pins can be difficult to see, particularly under low light conditions and when hunting. Thus, like other sights, they create potentials for error when aiming.
Thus, an improved bow sight solving the aforementioned problems is desired.